Cocktail of the Week: The Fortified Belle

"The whole idea of stirred and boozy big bold drinks is really popular right now. Something I want to avoid is doing what everyone else is doing, but the fact of the matter is that certain boozy whiskey drinks are delicious, especially when it's fall. I thought it'd be funny to create one that looks a bit more feminine, sounds a bit more feminine, but still scratches that itch for a bold, stirred cocktail with a few nuances to soften it just a touch, and — gentrify it, if you will.

"I knew I wanted to go with bourbon just because another rabbit hole we're seeing right now is the rye whiskey thing. It's awesome, but we hadn't been paying a lot of attention to bourbon since we were crazy on rye like everyone else. I had recently met the Belle Meade guys and they were super-cool, and made a really good whiskey. The rest was just standard a little of this, a little of that. I wanted it to be dry, and I knew I wanted it to have a fairly abrupt mouthfeel and finish like seeing a beautiful person walk by and suddenly you're just left with the memory. That's why I ended up using the Cocchi Americano, which has that really nice kind of crisp finish from the quinine. Luxardo Bitter is a really beautiful Campari-style liqueur with a rich red color, but a super-clean and dry finish. The rest was just a matter of rounding out the mouth a bit.

"I keep the Cocchi Americano cold, so when blending, that will slow the dilution. The ice won't melt as fast. The drink goes into a stemmed glass. I garnish with a tiny lemon wedge, which I also use to rim the glass for a bit of tartness." —Greg Best, Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta, GA

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Esquire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.